Blinken says ‘gaps are narrowing’ over Gaza ceasefire and hostage release

US secretary of state Antony Blinken meets with Arab foreign ministers in Cairo, Egypt (Amr Nabil/AP)

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the “gaps are narrowing” in indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas over another ceasefire and hostage release that the US, Egypt and Qatar have spent several weeks trying to broker.

Mr Blinken’s sixth visit to the region since the start of the Israel-Hamas war began in Saudi Arabia before going to Egypt on Thursday with a stop in Israel planned for Friday.